Nighthawk Energy Plc provided details of its recent drilling results and planned waterflood project in the Denver-Julesburg (D-J) Basin, the company said Oct. 23.

Drilling for a five-well program began with the Crested Butte 2-14 well on the eastern side of Arikaree Creek Field. The well was spudded on Sept. 10 and reached 8,360 feet (ft) total depth within budget. The Spergen Formation contained mainly water but the well had oil shows in the St Louis zone and in two of the Marmaton zones. Production could range around 100 barrels per day (bbl/d) once a pumping unit and production facilities are installed, the company said.

On Sept. 22, drilling began on the Monarch 10-15 well and it was drilled 8,640 ft total depth in the Monarch joint development area (JDA). The well is on the highest structure in the JDA and the Spergen was thought to contain oil, the company said. Oil could have migrated uphole to higher zones or off the structure to the east, the company added.

During drilling, oil was found in the Lower Atoka zone, where the company has never produced, and there were shows in the upper Marmaton and Cherokee zones. Completion work has been done in the Atoka zone and production levels are being tested. The Marmaton and Cherokee zones will also be tested.

The drilling plan was adjusted to move to a different part of the JDA to test another structure at the Kicking Horse location because of lack of Spergen production. This well was spudded on Oct. 10 and reached 8,541 ft total depth. It will be plugged and abandoned.

A filing seeking approval of the planned Arikaree waterflood project was sent to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. The company filed for development of the project, including the location of the project and how it will impact mineral owners.

The waterflood project will likely increase the field’s EUR and accelerate the year-by-year production volumes. The original estimated oil in place for this field was about 16MMbbl million barrels, primarily in the Spergen zone.